In a city brimming with adobo, sinigang, and sisig, Chef Miguel “Miggy” Cabel Moreno is carving space for something deeper—food that doesn’t just nourish, but remembers. At Palm Grill in Quezon City, he spotlights the bold, coconut-laced flavors of Tausug and Southern Mindanao cuisine, showcasing Mindanao’s Tausug food in Manila. Through forgotten recipes and unapologetic storytelling, he’s turning meals into cultural memory.
A Childhood of Smoke and Soul: Exploring Mindanao’s Tausug food influences in Manila.
Step into Miggy’s kitchen and the scent hits you: burnt coconut. Earthy. Smoky. Familiar.
“For me, pyanggang isn’t just a dish,” he says. “It’s my lola. She never called it that. She just called it chicken.”
Growing up in Zamboanga, Miggy didn’t follow recipes. He learned by feel—pounding ginger, grating coconut, absorbing the smoke-filled rhythm of Sunday meals that celebrated Mindanao’s unique culinary traditions.
“We didn’t call it cuisine,” he says. “We just called it food. But it had soul.”
What Was Missing
Later, in Manila, Miggy noticed a silence. Tausug food wasn’t just rare—it was invisible.
Restaurants were packed with Northern classics, yet few had heard of tiula itum, siyagul, or kulma kambing. Some didn’t even realize the Tausug were Filipino.
“It didn’t feel like oversight,” Miggy says. “It felt like erasure.”
Tausug food, rich with spice, history, and Islamic heritage, was absent from the city’s palate, including the flavors from Mindanao’s Tausug food scene in Manila. That absence fueled his mission.
Opening Palm Grill
In 2017, Miggy opened Palm Grill—the first restaurant in Luzon to focus on Tausug and Southern Mindanao flavors.
“I didn’t open it to follow trends,” he says. “I opened it to tell the truth.”
The menu tells a story: pyanggang manok, kuning rice, siyagul kambing, tiula itum. Every dish holds memory. Every bite speaks of home and the rich tapestry of Mindanao’s Tausug food culture that has found a new home in Manila.
“When food’s unfamiliar, people see it as exotic,” he says. “But I wasn’t here to amuse. I was here to reclaim.”
Leading From the Front
At Palm Grill, Miggy is hands-on. He takes orders, checks plates, chats with regulars, and watches the kitchen closely.
Leadership, for him, means showing up.
“He’s always there, sleeves rolled up,” says a regular. “You can feel his heart in the place.”
Many doubted Tausug food could survive in Manila. Miggy proved them wrong, showcasing Mindanao’s Tausug food as integral to the city’s culinary scene, particularly in Manila.
“That’s the thing about trailblazing,” he says. “You don’t follow a path. You clear one.”
Cooking Through Crisis
When the pandemic hit, many restaurants closed. Palm Grill stayed open.
“Some nights, we had only three or four orders,” Miggy says. “But we kept going—for the team, for our guests, for that one person missing home.”
One such guest—a nurse from Tawi-Tawi—broke down after tasting tiula itum.
“She cried,” Miggy recalls. “That moment reminded me—this isn’t just food. It’s belonging, it’s Mindanao’s Tausug food connecting us to our roots.”
During lockdowns, he also wrote a children’s book: Si Migoy, Ang Batang Tausug, a story of identity and pride. Just like his food, it plants roots.
“Every recipe, every story is a seed,” he says. “So the next generation knows—our food matters. We matter.”
Growing the Table
Today, Palm Grill has a second branch in Araneta City. The menu continues to evolve, with dishes like Ala Zambonga and Amor del Mar—modern, memory-driven creations.
“These aren’t just recipes,” Miggy says. “They’re love letters to the South.”
One standout dish—a seafood platter with Montano sauce—sticks with you. “It clings to your hands,” he says. “It demands to be shared, just like Mindanao’s Tausug food heritage in Manila.”
Palm Grill quietly turned eight this year. No fanfare. Just food, family, and quiet pride.
“We’re still here,” Miggy told guests. “Alive. Seasoned. Growing. When your roots run deep, you don’t fade. You grow.”
Why He Cooks
So, what keeps him going?
Miggy pauses. Then he answers simply:
“I cook for the kid who thinks his food doesn’t belong. Because I was that kid. And I want him to know—his story matters. His food matters. He matters.”
Palm Grill Locations:
Tomas Morato – Tomas Morato cor Sct Casto St., Diliman, Quezon City
Gateway 2 – Palenque food court, Upper Ground B, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City
Follow @palmgrillph on Instagram and Facebook for updates and menu highlights.
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